Press Releases

2018

Valley Presbyterian Celebrates Being a Pioneeer in Early Adoption of Patient-Monitoring Technology Used in Space Exploration

Posted on
10/15/2018

VAN NUYS, Calif. – As moviegoers prepare to watch Ryan Gosling venture out into the infinite
darkness and walk on the moon’s surface in the new Neil Armstrong biopic
First Man, Valley Presbyterian Hospital is celebrating being a pioneer in its own
right, as the first hospital to be outfitted with telemetry patient-monitoring
systems — the same technology used in space. Back in 1966, Spacelabs,
Inc., the innovators behind the medical technology used on some of NASA’s
most historic missions, introduced the technology to civilians at Valley
Presbyterian Hospital.

The out-of-this-world medical telemetry was developed in the early 1960s,
and allowed a person’s vital signs to be captured and sent to a
device to display in waveform. NASA used this technology when it successfully
landed Neil Armstrong on the moon on July 16, 1969. That same monitoring
equipment worn by Armstrong now sits in the Smithsonian as a coveted piece
of U.S. history.

“The ties between space exploration and medical breakthroughs are
truly fascinating,” said Gus Valdespino, President and Chief Executive
Officer at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys. “As a hospital
that has served the community for over 60 years, we are proud to be part
of such a rich history – even a part of U.S. history.”

Since the first civilian introduction of real-time telemetry monitoring
at Valley Presbyterian Hospital, the same technology that monitored Neil
Armstrong’s vitals has been used in hospitals across the country.
Today, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has 60 beds dedicated to patients
who are often in critical condition and need constant monitoring and care.
The specialized nursing teams on these units rely on this monitoring to
track a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and other
vitals, with the ability to monitor patients throughout the hospital.

Though it seems like light-years since this technology was adopted, Valley
Presbyterian, like many other hospitals, continues to rely on its role
in patient care and improved well-being.

ABOUT VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL

Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) is an independent, nonprofit and nonsectarian
hospital serving the medical needs of the San Fernando Valley community
for more than 50 years. VPH has grown to become one of the largest acute-care
hospitals in the region and continues to provide patient-centered care
for a healthy community. The 350-bed facility offers advanced technology
and a full range of medical services to improve and save lives.